Will some streets look like Venice, Italy? Here's what you can expect for King Tide season
MIAMI - Francesca Guerrera is not stressing out this year as we go into king tide season.
In years past, like in 2016, her Salon and spa would flood as water from king tides barged in, coming right through the front and back doors. "It looked like we were in Venice in Italy," Guerrera laughed.
"It was street level and the water would come in and we'd have 6 inches, 8 inches of water thru the entire salon," she said.
They raised their entrance a couple of feet stopping the intrusion, nearby sea walls were heightened and tidal valves installed - lessening the flooding around them.
"It holds the water back from the ocean so you don't have that tidal inundation in the roadway," said Dr. Nancy Gassman talking about tidal valves. She is the Assistant Public Works director for sustainability in Fort Lauderdale.
She explains constructing higher sea walls is working, with plans to do more on Las Olas and other areas of the city. 185 tidal valves are doing their job too. She says we're not seeing as much tidal flooding for a number of reasons.
"One of those reasons is that we've had fewer of these high tides that have exceeded that flooding threshold. But certainly, the installation of things like tidal valves and raising of sea walls has made a difference," Dr. Gassman said.
But she does note, that the king tide season is getting longer as sea levels continue to rise.
"They're starting in June and ending in February and in previous years we wouldn't see them except from August through December.
This year, king tides are predicted to occur:
- September 8-13
- September 27-30
- October 6-12
- October 24-30
- November 6-9
- November 23-27